Luminous tube sign or advertising device



0a. 16, 1934. w KOKEN 1,977,314

LUMINOUS TUBE SIGN OR ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Nov'. 27, 1933 aINVENTOR, WALTER F KOKEN BY II A TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITEDsr-A'rss PATENT orrics LUMINOUS TUBE SIGN OR ADVERTISING DEVICE 6Claims.

This invention relates to illuminated signs or advertising devices ofthe type that comprise one or more luminous tubes, i. e., a closed tubeor other container made of glass or the like, and

5. filled with an inert gas, such as neon gas, that will produce acolored light when subjected to the action of an electric current.

One object of my invention is to provide an illuminated sign oradvertising device of the general type mentioned, that produces a novellighting effect.

Another object is to provide a sign or advertising device of theluminous tube type, which is of such construction that when it is inoperation, it produces the effect of flames bursting forth from arotating or oscillating body.

And still another object of my invention is to provide a revolvingbarber pole that is of novel construction and appearance.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a revolving barberpole, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is applicable toany type or kind of illuminated sign or advertising device that isequipped with one or more socalled luminous tubes.

Figure l of the drawing is an elevational View of a revolving barberpole constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the rotatablemember of the pole at rest or in a quiescent state.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of said structure; and l Figures 4 to 8,inclusive, illustrate various other forms of reflecting surfaces thatmay be used in combination with a luminous tube or tubes.

In the drawing, which illustrates a revolving barber pole embodying myinvention, A designates an elongated member of non-circular shape incross section, and B and B designate a plurality of light emittingelements that are combined with the member A. Usually the light emittingelement or elements with which the apparatus is equipped, will consistof a so-called luminous tube or neon tube, and for convenience I willherein refer to the light emitting element of the apparatus as aluminous tube. However, I wish it to be understood that my broad ideacontemplates the use of any light emitting device that will produce acolored light similar to or the equivalent of the. colored lightdischarged by a glass tube filled with an inert gas through which anelectric current is passed. The member A is adapted to be revolved oroscillated by any suitable mechanism (not shown) and the luminous tubesB and (Cl. 40-130) i B are mounted on the exterior of said member andextend spirally or substantially spirally around said member. Anysuitable means may be used to supply an electric current to the tubes soas to ionize the gas confined in the tubes, the g tubes B and B hereinillustrated being provided at their upper ends with electrodes 1 and 1respectively, and having their lower ends joined together by anelectrical conductor 1 In conventional revolving barber poles of the 5"type that are equipped with neon tubes or luminous tubes, the revolvingmember of the pole on which the tubes are mounted is of cylindrical formand is provided with spiral stripes corresponding to the colors emittedby the gases in the 70, luminous tubes, it being the usual custom toprovide said revolving member with a spiral red band surmounted by aluminous tube that will emit a red light, and a spiral blue bandsurmounted by a luminous tube that will emit a blue light, the spiraltubes being parallel to or in concentric relation with the cylindricalouter surface of said revolving member. In my improved barber pole themember A on which the luminous tubes are mounted, is non-circular-shapedin cross 30. section, and said member A is provided with reflectingsurfaces of such shape and arrangement with relation to the luminoustubes, that when said member A is in rotation, the lighting effect thatis produced is that of flames bursting forth from the luminous tubes andtraveling lengthwise of the member A. It is immaterial whether or notthe member A be provided with colored stripes in addition to thereflecting surfaces, just referred to, but I prefer to omit the coloredspiral stripes used in conventional barber poles and provide the memberA with a brilliant exterior, all of whose portions act as reflectingsurfaces for the light emitted by the luminous tubes.

The particular shape or form of the reflecting 9 surfaces on theexterior of the member A is immaterial, so long as .said reflectingsurfaces are located in spaced. relationship with the luminous tubes andare disposed at an angle to said tubes or in otherwise than parallelrelationship with the same, in order that the lights projected from thetubes onto the reflecting surfaces will appear to the observer to betraveling lengthwise of the member A when said member is in rotation oroscillation. In the form of my invention shown in Figure 1 the member Ais constructed in the form of a fluted column provided withverticallydisposed facets 2 arranged between concaved reflectingsurfaces 3. When said member A is in rotation, the lighting effectproduced is that of flames bursting forth from the tubes B and B andtraveling lengthwise of the member A. This, it is believed, will beapparent from Figure 1, wherein the reference character a: designatesbeams of light from the luminous tubes that are projected onto thereflecting surface at the right of the center facet 2 at .suchan anglethat they produce the effect of upwardly shooting .flames, and thereference character 3 designates beams of light from the luminous tubesthat are projected onto the reflecting surface lying to the left of the.

center facet in such a way asto produce the effect of downwardlyshooting flames.

The lighting effect that is obtained or produced by combining luminoustubes withireflecting. surfaces of the kind described, isnot onlynov,el,.but it is also exceedingly attractive. I prefer to construct themember A from a shell of substantial-I Z thatJiebetWeenreflecting-surfaces 3 each of which-is made up of a plurality of flatsurfaces disposed at an'angle to eachother, as shown in Figure 5. InFigure -6, the reflecting surfaces 3 between thelongitudinally-disposedfacets 2 on the exterior of the member A are substantially V-shaped incross section, and in-the form shown in Figure 7 the reflecting surfaces3 *between the'longitudinally disposed facets 2 are almost flat; Figure8 illustrates-the exterior of *the revolving member A as being made upof a pluralityof substantially flatrefle'cting surfacesfi -disposed atan angleto' each other and separated by inwardly-projecting depressionsor grooves-2 of substantially-V-shape in cross section.

From the foregoing it-will be seen that my in-- vention contemplates theuse of reflecting surfaces of numerous shapes-and forms in =combinationwith a luminous tube or tubes,-and mounting'said'reflecting surfaces ortubes, or-both the reflecting surfaces and tubes on a'rotatable oroscillating member, whereby whensaid member is in operation, thecolored-light orlights emitted from the luminous tube of tubes willappear to be traveling lengthwise of the longitudinalaxis of thedevice,- and hence, will-produce the'effect of shooting flames. Aspreviously stated, my'invention is not limitedto barber poles, but isap-- plicable to or capable of use with various kinds of signs oradvertising devices of the luminous tube type. A device embodying myinvention may comprise a single luminous'tube or a plurality of luminoustubes, and while it is preferable that the light emitting element of thedevice extend spirally or substantially so around a rotatable oroscillating member, this particular shape or arrangement of the lightemitting element of the device is not essential, so long as the lightemitting means of the device is combined with reflecting surfaces whichare of such shape or form that when the apparatus is in operation, theeffect produced by the combination of the reflecting surfaces with thelight emitting means will be that of flames or beams of light in motion.Instead of. mounting the luminous tube or other light emitting means onthe rotatable or oscillating member that carries the reflectingsurfaces, the

apparatus can be so constructed that the light emitting means isstationary and the reflecting surfaces rotate or oscillate relatively tosaid light emitting means.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and'desire to'secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sign or advertising device, comprising an elongated member adaptedto move about its longitudinal axis and provided on its exterior with aplurality of longitudinally-disposed reflecting surfaces disposed at anangle to each other, and a luminous tube disposed at an angle to or inotherwise than parallel relationship with saidrefleeting surface.

2. A device of the kind described in claim 1, in which said luminoustube 'extends'spirally or substantially spirally around said elongatedmemb'er.

31A sign or advertising device, comprising an elongated member adaptedto move about its Ion-- gitudinal axis and provided on its exterior witha plurality of longitudinally-disposed reflecting surfaces arranged inangular relationship and separated-by longitudinally-disposed facets,and a luminous tube onthe'exterior of said member, disposed at an angleto the longitudinal axis of said member and extending across saidreflecting surfaces.

4. A device of the kind described in claim 3, in

' which the luminous tube extends spirally orsubstan'tia'lly'spirallyaround said elongated member.

'5. A sign or advertising device, comprising a shell of-non-circularform in cross section pro'- vided with a brilliant external surface, anda luminous tube on the exterior of said shell extending spirally orsubstantially spirally around the same, the brillliant external surfaceof said shell being made up of a plurality of reflecting surfacesdisposed at an angle to each other.

6. A revolving barber pole, comprising a rotatable member having abrilliant external surface made up of longitudinally-disposed reflectingsurfaces of substantially concave shape in cross section separated fromeach other by longitudinallydisposed facets; and a luminous tubeextending spirally or substantially so around said member.

' WALTER F. KOKEN.

